Gerrit Cole’s ability to summon his best to get out of the toughest of jams contributed to him winning the American League Cy Young award and also served him well in navigating a potentially awkward situation with his wife, Amy.
After celebrating the announcement of his first Cy Young with his wife by his side on Wednesday night, the Yankees ace was asked by Pedro Martinez on MLB Network’s broadcast about the person he would most like to celebrate the accomplishment with.
“I have to ask you and it’s a little bit of a different question,” Martinez said. “If you have to name someone who you want to have with you receiving the trophy because of how much he means to you or she means to you or that person who you want to really think of when you receive the trophy, who would that be?”
The answer, for at least one person who fit those criteria, felt obvious with his wife by his side, but it took Cole about eight seconds and a look at Amy as he started his answer to definitively single her out.
“I think it would probably be … it would be tough not to say Amy right next to me,” Cole said with a wide grin before she gave him an affectionate nudge with her arm and added a smile.
“She’s been there since I was just a kid in school and she supported me in all different aspects and journeys in our life, Cole said. “Moving to New York, setting up the home with the kids during the pandemic, and being that rock for all of us as we transition to a new place. She plays a big role behind the scenes.
“She’s the one I’d like sitting next to me when I receive it, for sure.”
Cole, 33, had a huge grin on his face as he delivered the end of his tribute to his wife, and they shared a nice embrace and had a good laugh about the moment.
The show’s host, Greg Amsinger, had some fun with all of it as well.
“Well done, well done,” he yelled. “We were all rooting that would be the answer. We were all rooting. Well done, Gerrit.”
Cole did a lot well from the mound this season.
The right-hander posted a 2.63 ERA with 222 strikeouts across 209 innings and 33 starts.
He led the majors in WHIP (0.981) and the AL in ERA, starts, innings, shutouts (two) and quality starts (24) while winning 15 games.
Cole is the sixth Cy Young winner in Yankees history and just the franchise’s second unanimous selection.
Cole and Amy met during their time together at UCLA, where she was a member of the Bruins’ softball team.
They married in 2016.
The couple have two sons together, Caden, 3, and Everett, who was born in January.